Why a blind child ought to miss the Harry Potter books? Why can't he enjoy like millions of children all over the world the Harry Potter magic? Well, he can enjoy it. Indeed, he can not read the books or watch the movies but he can listen to the audio books, which is also a great experience. Audio books may be useful for many populations - Elder people could go on "reading" audio books when they are not capable of reading books any more, busy career people can listen to business journals and magazines via audio books, children can listen to audio books of a higher level than they are able to read etc. However, it seems that one of the populations that may gain the most out of audio books is not...

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he wants to put an end to foreign non-governmental organizations financing political activities in Russia. His comments have raised immediate concern about the long-term fate of democratization projects in Russia. President Putin said Russia can not permit any of its political parties to be financed from abroad, saying no self-respecting country would allow this. Addressing the first Kremlin meeting of the Council for Promoting Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights, a body with presidential oversight, Mr. Putin said he had received reports that money allocated from abroad was being used to pay for, what he called, "sensitive political activities...

The legend of Center Park was the guy who made it up the stairwell in his manual wheelchair, got onto the roof, and jumped off and successfully died. Really, there was nothing to do at Center Park, except for gossip mongering and television. The most exciting weekly event was when the old ladies left on the communal charter bus to go get their ancient hair done at the beauty parlor, or once a week working in the arts and crafts room, needing to allow several days for your project to harden and dry. Nowadays, thank God, disabled people have the Internet within easy reach. A life of contemplating suicide is no real life, don't you think? That major problem with spending one's time is now relatively...

Casinos have been in existence since the 1700's, during the early years of the United States. In small, scattered towns, casinos were established to give those weary travelers and townsfolk a form of recreation and a way to earn some money from what they were willing to wager. Throughout the eyars since then, casinos became more organized. They got bigger. They started serving better food. They developed a more efficient dealer system. And the money that was laid down on hte table, and consequently, the money lost by players, grew into eye-popping amounts. Hence, many States banned gambling from their territories. Nevada, for instance, received so many complaints of broken families, ruined...

My brother and sister-in-law had taken the next day off and we were planning an excursion further afield: our destination was a mountain peak called Mangart in Slovenia, located about a three-hour drive from my home town. The beauty of Central Europe is its diversity of landscapes and its small distances, and in just a few hours of driving through the Austrian province of Carinthia we arrived in Val Canale, an area where Austria, Italy and Slovenia meet. Incidentally this is also the only area where the Germanic, Romance and Slavic language families come together right next to one another. We passed by the picturesque Predil Lake and continued our climb into the high mountains and crossed the...

Writing about Wahabism and Salafi-Islam, could fill many books. I will however in this article, try to make clear why it is of tremendous importance in our time. Both movements are considered as the origin of Islamic terrorism. A lot of recent Islamic terrorists such as Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, have been inspired by Wahabism. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703 - 1792 ) was an Arab theologian born in Saudi Arabia and can be considered as the founder of Wahabism. Wahab is considered by many to be a great reformer of Islam, and at the same time as the "father of Islamic terrorism. Iwill not go deeply into his teachings, but expose the teachings of two of his...

Christmas spirit. It's all about love, compassion, friendship. But is it only a nice wrapping paper? What's buried beneath the nice words and greetings of the lovely Christmas cards? Do Christmas cards convey a real message of love and caring or is it only a fa?ade, a mask, thick layers of make-up to hide the rooted hatred that is there. White, African American, Hispanic, Jews, Italians, Muslims and the list goes on and on, and so is the deep rooted blind-hatred. Michael Richards' display of hatred at the Laugh Factory is contemptible. His remarks are the embodiment of racial hatred. Michael Richards, however, is not the problem. He's just a wash up comic (to use his own words) who happened to give...

Can you truly say that the law of attraction has been the greatest secret? For just about everyone who has ever had the desire to improve themselves have come across the knowledge of creation. However at no other time in history has such a large scale of people been made so aware of how vital their thoughts are on the energetic field of consciousness outside of themselves. This is by far one of the most powerful times in history. However there is still so much more at the foundation of applying the law of attraction. That foundation is the deeper understanding of energy. Your thoughts alone do not rule your reality but your personal energy commands it. Power reigns with increased energy but few...

A Devastated Metropolis On October the 29th three ghoulish bomb blasts rocked the spine of Delhi leaving 61 dead in their ghastly wake. Traffic-free are Delhi's roads in an aberrantly unambiguous metropolis. Gaudy neon lights are dimmed. Rattled citizens are house-bound. Cops at checkpoints rake a discerning gaze into many automobiles with a flashlight fever as fear strappingly grips a city paralyzed with deadly panic. Delhi-ite Diwali festivities with their flickering candles took a sobering thump as the glittering saris and citizenry are interposed with a panic-stricken dyslexia. Fireworks and firecrackers are igniting every few seconds with a hitherto unseen poignant prudence. Many would-be...

Jacob, a participant in one of my telephone support groups, was exploring the fact that he generally didn't like to be touched. He was sharing with the group a situation that used to happen with his mother. "She used to sit me on the couch with her and grab my arms and look intently into my eyes, telling me how much she loved me and how important to her I was. I don't know exactly how to describe what I felt when she did that." "Was it a yucky feeling?" asked Sarah, another participant. "Yes, that's exactly the word! Yucky! So yucky! Why did it feel so yucky?" "Because," Sarah said, "It was emotional incest. I know all about this yucky feeling. My father did the same thing with me." Emotional incest...

It may shock you to learn that sunglasses weren't always used to protect people's eyes from the sun. The history of sunglasses dates back to ancient China and Rome. It has been reported that the Roman emperor Nero enjoyed watching gladiator fights through polished gems. In China, sunglasses were used in the twelfth century or even earlier. Sunglasses were first made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky quartz. These types of sunglasses could not correct vision, or protect from harmful UV rays, but did reduce glare. Chinese judges used the smoky quartz glasses to hide their facial expressions when they interrogated witnesses. Sunglasses did not undergo further changes until about the...

Consider the whoopee cushion, also referred to as the Poo Poo Cushion and Razzbery Cushion. An object of disgust for some, merriment for others. Invented around 1950 by two employees of the Jem Rubber Company of Toronto Canada, goofing around with scrap pieces of rubber sheeting. Sounds like it was a fun place to work! The company tried to sell the new device to Sam Adams, founder of the S.S.Adams Novelty Company. But Sam Adams refused, saying the item was too vulgar and would never sell. But other companies that Jem Rubber approached did not think the same way. The rest is history. So what is the mystique of the whoopee cushion? Flatulence has never been proper behavior in public, at least...

Different countries produce different types of woods. And produces different type of furniture each unique in their own styles. And the development of these different styles of wood products was also due to the encouragements from their rulers and influential people. Furniture made on the mainland of Europe varied from country to country, but both craftsmen and ideas were interchanged from time to time. Local tastes and the use of local timbers often played a part in creating a fashion that spread eventually from east to west. There is no space here to deal with the detailed history of the subject in each individual land, but some general notes may be helpful. French furniture, having attained a...

The early Spanish explorers of the 1500's found Strawberry Guava, 'Acca sellowiana O.,' growing as a native tree in America, where they were firmly established from Mexico southward to Peru. History records that Seminole Indians were growing guava trees in Northern Florida in 1816. Strawberry Guava, 'Acca sellowiana O.,' can grow into trees 25 feet tall and frequently they are planted by homeowners as a privacy hedge that is easily trimmed or grown as an untrimmed windbreak. The guava tree can be trained to single or multiple trunks by pruning and will grow into an excellent specimen plant that is covered with exotic flowers during late spring. The wood is gray in color, and the grain is very hard...

In recent years the Christian Fish Symbol has been affixed on the back of cars, made into key chains and is visible in many other locations. Christians use it to demonstrate to the world that they are believers in the only one true God. The Origin of the Christian Fish Symbol The origin of the popular Christian Fish Symbol is believed to have been in the early years of the church after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The church was growing rapidly and it was the target of persecution by both the Romans and the Jews. One usage of the symbol was as a sort of secret code. When a Christian met someone they thought was a fellow believer they would scratch the top arch of the symbol in the ground. If the...

Travellers to Mexico are tempted to a stunning display of culture, hospitality, fine food and exquisite cuisine, art and history. They are welcomed to small rural villages and vibrant modern centres. There are some "great numbers" describing the wonderful State of Mexico in Central America; the 10.000 km of coasts speak to us of splendid beaches bathed by clear water, the almost one hundred million inhabitants and its over 50 amerindis dialects are instead the mirror of a coloured universe, where the cultures, the traditions and the somatic lines have been mixed by now for centuries. What the numbers cannot tell is the atmosphere that you can breathe in Mexico, the feeling given by splendid...

The natural cool colors of turquoise just seem to make it a gem that is easy to appreciate and enjoy. From the Ancient Egyptians and early Chinese civilizations to the Native American tribes, mankind around the world has treasured turquoise for centuries as the ancient stone of the earth and sky. It really is no wonder that turquoise seems to hold some raw, primitive quality, as turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever worked by mankind - it has been treasured for thousands of years. It is soft enough to be shaped, polished and fashioned into jewelry with simple tools - hence its use from the earliest times of man's civilization. Handcrafted turquoise jewelry just seems to have an enduring...

The Ancient Greek and Roman cultures can be said to be the discoverers of the tradition of honoring our mothers. The first Mother's Day ceremonial was a church service in 1908 requested by Anna Jarvis, of Philadelphia, to honor her deceased mother, Jarvis, at an early age, had heard her mother express hope that a day to honor all mothers would be established. So, in 1914, Congress passed legislation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. There is also some evidence of a festival prevailing in the British Isles and Celtic Europe where a festival called the "Spring Mother's Day" was celebrated in honor of Goddess Brigid. However, these festivals are totally different from the present...

In order to get the idea of women's role in Ancient Greece it will be the best to review the way they where portrayed in art. Ordinary Greek women very often had the portrayals of goddesses and sometimes even mythological creatures. Women as well as men were displayed as sex objects. For instance statues of Aphrodite fell under this peculiarity. At the same time some people were identified with their name, and no doubt it diminished their object status. While goddesses were depicted with their attributes and symbols, it reduced their object status as well. There were much less portrayals of nude women than men before the sculpture of the nude Aphrodite of Cnidos was created by Praxiteles. After...

I love London, it is my kind of town. Now I know that to most people this would sound as if I am plagiarising some advertising copy for either New York or Chicago but in this case I truly mean it. I have lived AND worked in London for well over 30 years and I have seen everything come and go, good times and bad times. From the bad old days and the darkest hours of the terrorist bombing campaigns of the Provisional IRA in the 70's and 80's to the good times when the announcement was made that London had been awarded the 2012 Olympics and the Queens Jubilee. London has seen it all and treats both with the same respect. I remember travelling through London to return home to Northern Ireland where I now...

Of all the stereotypical tokens of England, like the London Bridge, Buckingham Palace and double-decker busses, and tea tops the list. Tea is to England what apple pie is to America. English tea is steeped in tradition and more than a beverage of choice; it's also an important element in the social history of Britain. English High Tea is one of these traditions that are still an important element in the life of the British elite. While many imitate the practice of serving English high tea, it's not easy to duplicate it. North American resorts, hotels and tearooms will often offer "English High Tea" with an array of sweets and pastries in early afternoon. These parties are certainly elegant, but not...

The harsh reality of life is that no matter how hard we try, there are some things which are simply unpredictable. Perhaps, the only thing which we can do to face such a situation is, be prepared with resource which can help you diffuse it and having money is one method that can help you out in tackling this. Life settlement solution, as the very term says, helps you in settling and leading your retired life in peace. Retired life can get really difficult for you if you do not have the proper money and other resources to take care of all your needs. Today, with the invention of so many luxury items, we have become accustomed to using them and some of these luxuries have become a necessity for us. We...

Ideas for Collecting Coins from Around the World Collecting world coins is a fun hobby that gives you the feeling of travelling the globe vicariously through your coins. A collection of world coins offers a unique insight into the culture and history of other countries, and encourages you to learn at least a few words of a variety of different languages. World coins can also be an interesting step into the world of coin collecting, because it is a relatively inexpensive pastime. Many of the coins are still in circulation, making them easy to find and light on the pocketbook to buy. Oftentimes, children start their coin collections with world coins for this reason. Ideas for Collections of World...

In Asian décor in the east and west an item called a Japanese Shoji Screen is used as either a room divider or a form of decoration. A Japanese Shoji Screen is a room divider or door that is made up of rice paper fitted to a wooden frame and are made to be light so as it is easy to move them. These screens can be considered works of art because, as with all Japanese art, these screens were built from the earth's natural beauty. A Shoji screen was used as doors, room dividers, and as privacy screens. Folding screens, like the Shoji Screen, was first introduced by China around the 8th century A.D. China might have invented folding screens but it was Japan who came up with the most...

Turquoise is a stone familiar and valued since 3000 B.C.E. Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Pre-Columbian Native Americans used it to make jewelry, mosaics, and carved it into many different shapes. The stone was unknown in Europe until the 14th century, when it was introduced by Turkish merchants. It is thought that the name of the stone was derived from the French word turc, which means Turk in English. This lead to the idea that the stone itself was mined by the Turks in their homeland. This is not true. The Turks were only merchants that dealt in the stone. Rich deposits of turquoise mined in ancient times were located in Persia (modern day Iran), and some of the highest quality turquoise is...

We all love looking at Hawaiian shirts. Looking back at the history of hawaiian shirts, also known as the Aloha Shirt, we see that it can be traced to the 19th century and to the early western missionaries. Those missionaries thought that covering the recent Christianized natives would be more appropriate than allowing them to go topless. In the 1930s Hawaiian shirts started to be produced commercially and continue to this day. Some researchers have discovered stories about the pioneer of the Aloha shirt, a Waikiki, Honolulu, Chinese merchant named Mr. Ellery Chun. Mr. Chun was the owner of the well-known King Smith Clothiers and dry goods store. He was born in Honolulu in 1909 and he died at the...

Are our candidates disconnected from the American people? Do you think George Bush knows how much a bus pass costs? When was the last time you think Bush pulled out an envelope full of coupons to save a few bucks at the grocery store? Does he even know what a grocery store is? I do not want to bash the President. But what I want to do is explain why so many of our national politicians aren't ready to tackle the everyday problems the average American faces - simply because they have no idea what they are. During my Illinois mayoral campaign this year, I held seven town hall meetings with topics ranging from improving education to accessing the healthcare system. Two trends stood out to me as I...

In school, we all study the history of the United States, but the US Flag can become subsumed by battles, important historic figures and other events. The history of our flag is important though, and has many twists and turns as the Congress and US government sought to find a way to create a proud symbol for our country with strength and aesthetic beauty. Now the American Flag, or the Stars and Stripes or Old Glory, stands proud across the United States of America, made up of 13 horizontal red and white stripes and a union of blue, proudly bearing 50 white stars placed in symmetry. The 50 stars represent the 50 states of our Union while the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies. The most...

As we enter the month of December the holiday season is moving into high gear. Every TV commercial says "Buy, Buy, Buy." Some even suggest that you get a loan so you can buy those expensive gifts you think each member of your family wants (and needs?) After all, will 5 year old Tommy ever respect you again if you don't give him his own cell phone with music, video and text messaging? (of course he can't read or spell but so what?) Will 13 year old Jessica forgive you if she doesn't receive those $120 designer jeans? Does your wife expect diamonds or your husband expect a Rolex even though you're on a tight budget? Or, hey, how about having twin Mercedes sitting in the driveway on Christmas morning...

Originally it was the Egyptians who invented the system of Taxes. They appointed Tax Masters, whose job it was to increase the burden on the slaves under the Egyptian domination. Tax collectors, also known as Scribes, were drawn on tomb paintings dating as far back as 2000 B.C. They taxed simple things such as the use of cooking oil in family meals, as well as other aspects of daily life. They accomplished this by auditing households and checking that the correct amount of cooking oil was being consumed. They also ensured that residents were not using methods of cooking other than the taxed oil. Greece adopted the tax system from the Egyptians and used it in Athens during times of war. They created...

Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing mankind since the last ice age. Naturally, many well meaning NGO's have grouped together to promote action plans that can help mankind avert this impending disaster. One notable grouping is the Climate Action Network (CAN). The CAN is a worldwide network of over 365 Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), such as Friends of the Earth and others, working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels. Your members work to "achieve this goal through the coordination of information exchange and NGO strategy on international, regional and national climate issues." CAN has seven...

Did you know that Asian American women are at high risk for developing osteoporosis? Statistics actually show that Asian women in the United States have many of the same risk factors as Caucasian women. If you are Asian American woman, it is important that you understand what osteoporosis is and the steps you should take to prevent or treat it. Following are some of the issues that are causing a rise in the number of Asian women being diagnosed with osteoporosis: Asian women have been found to consume less calcium. This is mostly due to the fact that up to 90% of Asian American women are lactose intolerant and avoid using dairy products that contain calcium. As you may know, calcium is essential for...

ERB has the reputation of being a rather juvenile author, good on vivid colour and action but hopelessly lacking in the ability to portray characters of convincing depth. When debating how true this is, and how far, if it is true, ERB should be criticised for it, one might do worse than consider the theme of the mad scientist in the later Mars novels. The series set on Barsoom - Mars - runs to ten volumes. In my opinion, though all are good (except the fourth), the best of them, apart from the second which is superb, are the last five. In other words broadly speaking the quality of writing increases as we go through the series. And it is interesting to note that the plots of the sixth, seventh...

The Armenian massacres in Turkey started in the 19th century and continued well after the Armenian genocide of 1915 in which some 600,000 Armenians perished. The Armenians were also raided by Kurdish tribesmen on a regular basis. An Ottoman military tribunal, convened between 1919-21, even convicted for the crimes members of the administration of the Young Turks, including cabinet ministers. Many of the perpetrators fled the country only to return, triumphant, after the establishment of modern Turkey in 1923. The Turkish government today denies that an organized, premeditated genocide ever took place and pegs the number of Armenian fatalities at 200-300,000 at the most. Towards the end of the 19th...

The United States of America, as widespread opinion states, finds itself teetering precariously on a fine balance today, between taking up its cudgel to police the destructive forces plaguing the world and shrugging its shoulders and walking away to safety and defeat. President George W. Bush, despite continuing opposition from his own people, has placed his country at the unenviable point of no-return. Interestingly, what is happening in America today seems to be an echo of the events of 1918 when another president had to face resistance to the forceful stance he wanted his country to adopt in the aftermath of World War 1. America chose to take a neutral stand when European nations got enmeshed in...

You might think that the world's first cigars were rolled in Spain, or that the philosophic French were the very first to wax existential over cigarette smoke, but before there were any cigars or cigarettes in the old world, tobacco had to be brought in from the new one. Tobacco is a plant that was originally found only in North and South America, where native Americans have cultivated it for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The Indigenous Mayans of the Mexican Yucatan peninsula grew tobacco plants, and there is evidence showing that they smoked it in ways similar to the way we do today. From its origins in Mexico, tobacco use spread from tribe to tribe, to the north and to the south...